Outfitter Tom Wilson, the first white Canadian to see Lake Louise when led here by a native in 1882, wrote “I never, in all my explorations… of mountains throughout western Canada, saw such a matchless scene… I felt puny in body, but glorified in spirit and soul.” Today the scene has changed significantly around the fringes. A huge parking lot...

Though only half the size of Lake Louise, Moraine Lake is in many ways scenically superior. The jagged, snow-tipped mountains gather closer to the lake; the adjacent Moraine Lake Lodge is far less intrusive; and there are fewer visitors to contend with. The turquoise colour of the lake is particularly captivating and as vivid as anywhere in the Rockies. As...